What’s the key to delivering timely retail deals? Collaboration
- laurendoble
- Oct 30, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 13
Next month marks the 30th edition of MAPIC, the main global transactional hub for retail property players. Held at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes on November 4-5, the two-day event is an ideal opportunity for those working in the retail property sector to address the industry’s evolving challenges.
This year’s MAPIC couldn’t be more timely. At Davitt Jones Bould, we’re seeing the relationship between retail landlords and tenants undergoing a – mostly positive – sea change, driven by an increasingly tough market. Yet there needs to be more movement if deals are to be sped up and high street voids filled.
How is such change manifesting itself? Well, since Covid, some real estate owners have become more collaborative with retailers. Challenging market conditions are driving a path towards more open lease negotiations, leading to flexible arrangements which work for both parties.
Certainly, lease negotiation is a process that needs more give and take on the fundamentals of the deal so that different tenants can operate effectively. There can be a tendency for landlords to sit back and wait for the perfect fit, or a potentially higher rent, whereas a more creative approach is needed to fit the asset to the tenant.
Landlords who have embraced this approach are filling their units, although this isn’t as widespread as it could be.
As the relationship between landlords and tenants becomes more collaborative, so there will be opportunities for supporting professional services to be part of that process. Ultimately, good landlords are driving the transaction rather than simply sitting on the sidelines, and lawyers will inevitably play an important supporting role.
Speaking of which, our chief executive Peter Allinson and one of the firm’s retail partners Abigail Kay are both attending MAPIC next week and would be happy to discuss your retail property issues, helping you to arrive at solutions to the challenges you currently face.
Contact us at djb.events@djblaw.co.uk to arrange a meeting with our team.
Peter Allinson (Chief Executive)
Abigail Kay (Partner)
